Built by McDougall-Duluth Shipbuilding Co., Duluth, Minnesota in 1919. Previous name: Chantier until 1929. According to the external website that I've linked to above, she was delivered in July-1919 as Chantier to U.S. Shipping Board, New York. Owned from Nov.-1928 by Ole Frøiland, Farsund, renamed Gunda. From Oct.-1938, A/S Olymp (Einar Lange), Oslo, no name change.

Captain: Odd Pedersen

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:Page 1 | Page 2

As can be seen when going to Page 1 of the archive documents, Gunda was in Shanghai when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. She had arrived there on Apr. 8.

With Eidanger and Heimgar, she's listed in Convoy BN 15 from Aden to Suez in Febr.-1941, and early the following month, we find her in Convoy BS 18, together with Norse Lady and Tonjer - see the external links provided within the above record. Going back to the archive document, we learn that Gunda arrived Aden on March 12, having left Suez March 4.

There's a long gap in her voyages for 1942. She had arrived Lourenço Marques from Madras on May 26, and departure is given as Oct. 3, when she proceeded to Mombasa - see Page 2. It'll be noticed, that A. Hague mentions her receiving aircraft damage when on a voyage from Colombo to Vizagapatam in March/Apr.-1942; perhaps this long stay was due to her requiring repairs(?).

Final Fate - 1942:

Gunda was on a voyage from Lourenço Marques to Zanzibar with 3134 tons of coal when she was torpedoed by U-181 (Lüth) on Nov. 19-1942, position 25 40S 33 53E (off the coast of East Africa, between Inhaca and Punta da Oro according to C. Hocking). She had left Lourenço Marques that same day. Page 2 of the archive documents gives the time as 22:32. Only 8, all of them from India, managed to save themselves on a raft. I have no information on who rescued them.

U-181 had also sunk the Norwegian K. G. Meldahl just a little over a week before.

Crew List:

Survivors:

Able Seaman? Waxiulla(India)

HelmsmanKur Shid Miya(India)

StokerLotoo Mian(India)

OilerAttori Ali(India)

TrimmerMoh. Kati Mian(India)

ManagerAbdul Latif(India)

Boy? Birwa(India)

+ 1 more?
see*

Casualties:

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CaptainOdd Pedersen

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1st MateOlaf Bottenstuen

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2nd MateApoloniusz Padziora(Polish)

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CarpenterKwan Pak Hien(Chinese)

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Able SeamanSamir Ali*(India)

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Able SeamanNjad A. Allee*(India)

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Able SeamanGora Meah*(India)

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Able SeamanAbdul Malick*(India)

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Able SeamanJacob Ali*(India)

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Able Seaman? Fyziuddin*(India)

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HelmsmanAbdul Ghani*(India)

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HelmsmanRustom Mian*(India)

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HelmsmanAbu Bakar*(India)

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1st EngineerRolf Andersen**

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2nd EngineerChristian Abrahamsen

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3rd EngineerSten Sture Melin(Swedish?)

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StokerSultan Mian*(India)

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StokerJaifar Ali*(India)

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StokerMoradis Alis*(India)

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StokerCalla Meah*(India)

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StokerAsad Mian*(India)

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StokerSultan Mian*(India)

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StokerAli Farah Abdi*(Sudan)

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StokerAli Haji Mohamed*(Sudan)

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OilerAbdul Sabham*(India)

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Trimmer? Joinalla*(India)

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TrimmerKohbad Meah*(India)

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?? Mojodolla*(India)

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Steward? Patal*(India)

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CookPeter de Costa*(India)

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2nd CookGabriel de Costa*(India)

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CookNoor Ahmed*(India)

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CookMohamed Sudick*(India)

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Pantry Boy? Jhari*(India)

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Galley Boy? Habidullah*(India)

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Mess Boy? Kalloo*(India)

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Mess Boy? Walliuddin*(India)

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Mess BoyMohamed Sadick*(India)

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ManagerAbdul Barrick*(India)

* I wonder if this Able Seaman may have been the 8th survivor? I say this, because there were 38 casualties, and adding Fyziuddin makes it 39. Also, he appears to be the only one not listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Comm. website.

** Chief Engineer Rolf Andersen had previously been the chief engineer on the captured D/S Helios and had later signed on D/S Gunda. Follow the link for more details.

The above list is from "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I. As can bee seen from the list below, some of the names and titles differ slightly from what can be found at the Commonwealth War Graves Comm. website, but I've chosen to leave them as is, since I don't know which is correct (I'm not sure what is a surname and what should be the first name). Marek Twardowski, a visitor to my site, has given me the correct spelling for the Polish 2nd mate.

Norway had previously had another ship by this name, originally built in 1890 as Ardnamurchen for owners in Scotland, later became Italian Speranza in 1909, then Norwegian Gunda in 1912. Sold for breaking up in 1925.